xx Wedding Weekend xx

Six months of waiting, now two lovely friends of mine tie the knot this weekend. The sun is shining, the air is clean, smiling faces, happy times. Two outfits; one stripes one spots. Dainty shoes, vintage and new. Blood red nails: Red trickers. Perfect combination.

YES

I LOVE EUROPE (here is a list of my initial observations for this comment)

a) the efficiency of the people

b) witty remarks

c) the pace of walking

d) the cool, fresh air on my skin

e) the buildings

f) empty trains

g) graffiti on trains

h) empty streets

i) people waiting their turn

j) friendly response from strangers (including hotel staff, take-away owner, flight staff)

k) the level of people's voices

l) not having to wait for the green man (no threat from the police)

m) Mezzo Mix

n) a bath waiting for me at the hotel

Yes, Love for my Europe indeed.

Mother Nature

One day to go, will Mother Nature free the skies, dissipate her dust cloud and allow an ash free flight path home? CC and GS remain in high spirits. Families and friends wait for their imminent arrival.

"Please Mother Nature, be kind, calm down Eyjafjallajokull, rescue the residents and animals of Fljotshilio and send everyone home safely..."

If CC had wings she would flutter her way across the blue yonder, GS would follow and with his almighty strength push the ash from their path, into a whole new galaxy.

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Sky

Snow filled the skies in December

Dust fills the sky in April

Will CC and GS make it home in time...

So as they wait, they wait with Pulp Fiction and

Neil Diamond...

Wall pictures

Vintage Fashions

Seek and ye shall find... Found some lovely little vintage Hong Kong fashions today. All will be uploaded to Yellow Polkadots soon. Gorgeous flowery blouses, retro sunglasses and jewels too! I know how to treat a girl!

Lots of love

USB Trees!

(click here to buy a tree!)

I need

fresh air in my lungs

a bath for my body

for now sit down showers will do...

Pearl. S Buck

My new read:

The Good Earth

Pearl S. Buck

In 1938, she became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces."

I finished this book in two days. I think it is the best book I have ever read. I recommend this author to all. I am now on the hunt for the other books from the trilogy; The House of Earth which include Sons and A House Divided. The complexities of Pearl S. Buck's characters are fascinatingly hidden, how they each furtively evolve throughout this novel made this a special read for me.

If you are currently looking for a new book to read, I suggest this, The Good Earth!

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck

Concentration

is the key to a successful shopping trip in Hong Kong. Today I left the house knowing I had to find something for the two weddings that are fast approaching. Shopping is not straight forward in Hong Kong. Ok, there might be lots and lots of shops, but this makes it all the more tiresome.

As I may have mentioned previously Plazas are the way things are done over here. Huge plazas, that all look very similar, modern interiors, everything on offer, trying to think back to that "floaty nude dress..." is so difficult. Once you have left a shop, it's pretty strenuous to return to it! So today, I went shopping alone, knowing it was going to be a long day, ready for the task that was in front of me.

Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) is probably one of the best shopping spots and if you're really not happy with what you have there, then you can jump onto the Star Ferry and head over to Central. Harbour City (plaza) does have literally everything under one roof. An amazing designer boutique section including Marni (my favorite), huge array of shops, food and dining, whole floor dedicated for children, beauty, home, stationary... but finding your way around it, impossible. I was in there for so long, looking for one shop that I had noticed a couple of weeks before while eating at a nearby restaurant. I didn't get stressed out, I simply took my time, ignored people barging into me and glided around in my own little world. Until, something caught my eye in a shop, a shop without customers, with three members of staff. I debated whether to go in as I knew there might be some hard-selling tactics on the cards, but as I was on my own, pretty relaxed I thought I would check it out. MISTAKE.

"Hello, welcome""

"Hi"

(Instant shop assistant glued to my side)

"You can try"

(Right in my face)

"Oh, thanks"

"Why don't you try this? This is nice, you should try this"

(Pulls out a random dress off the rail, unlike anything I have looked)

"Pardon"

"Try this"

(Holds it up to me)

"No, look this really isn't what you do, this isn't how you sell something"

(I walked out)

When I got home and told my husband the tale, he said it's a real sorry state when they have to bring themselves to that level, really go for the hard sell and degrade themselves like that. One of Hong Kong's tourist pulls is the shopping element that this city hosts. But having all these shops on offer, designer after designer in plaza after plaza with hardcore sales staff pushing you throughout, the experience is spoilt. I know when Manchester announced that it was opening it's second Vivienne Westwood shop I thought it was a bit of a shame, was it really necessary? Hong Kong hosts over 12 Vivienne Westwood shops...

Hong Kong Counterfeit

Retro time keepers

This website is wicked! Sells retro watches and other pieces super cheap. This Casio watch model is my favorite, I've been searching all over Hong Kong for it but had to succumb to buying it on the internet! I love it!

Dudes of Hong Kong

I liked the look of these guys today so I took their photo...

Weekend

This weekend is Ching Ming Festival also known as Ancestors Day. The name denotes a time for people to tend to the graves of departed ones and enjoy the greenery of springtime outside. This tradition dates back 2,500 years throughout Asia. It is during this weekend that you pay your respects and honor those family members that are no longer with you.

Spend time with your loved ones.

Remember your loved ones where ever they may be.

Swimming and aeroplanes...

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I therefore intend to enjoy the springtime and greenery in the following ways:

Netball

Swimming

Hiking

All under the sunshine

There is no excuse. They are all on my doorstep now!

I have not been part of a netball team since I was 16 years old. Tomorrow I shall be returning to the court, almost 10 years later...I feel as though I am coming out of retirement!

Summer Time Season

1st April in Hong Kong.

The official summer season has begun. Outdoor swimming pools are now open! Yah! There are so many of them scattered around HK, particularly in the New Territories area, where the air is that little bit fresher and you're surrounded by mountains. The water is pretty cool to begin with, but once you've swam a length or two you're soon nice and warm. I would definitely recommend a visit to one, so nice swimming under the sun. It's also peaceful if you go during the day in the week when all the kids are in school.

Just when I was trying out bikes for size, a collision happened right before my eyes... An elderly lady on her bike didn't stop for the green light, colliding with a Mercedes car coming round a bend. It was awful. Luckily the cyclist lady wasn't too badly hurt, thrown off her bike though and shook up. One second sooner and the consequences would have been so much worse...You have to be so careful.

I am now in two minds whether to purchase bicycles for the two of us out here. With overcrowding, people rushing and no one seems to have any spacial awareness..The cycle paths are great, but the roads are frightening!

I did however love love my little bike in the UK, maybe I should sleep on it...

Carrot Cake Cook Off

Mmmm... my sweet friend and super cake cook Ana-H baked this delicious carrot cake. How amazing does it look?! It reminded me of England soooo much that I wanted to put it on here. The English carrot cake is much tastier, creamier and lovelier than the Chinese one. Just look at the two:

Do not be lulled into thinking you'll be receiving a fluffy, creamy, sweet sensation when you order the Chinese one. This is also called "Lor Bak Gou". The crust is crispy and the inside of it is soft, smooth and yummy. Not quite the same though...

Ana wins hands down...

xx

Chop Suey

A little exert taken from the musical film "Flower Drum Song " 1961. I love it!

The musical was influenced by the Chinese themed nightclub Forbidden City in San Francisco, which was in business from the late 30s to 50s. I would have loved to have gone there.

Here are some of the super ladies getting ready back stage...

Waking up with ailments

Why is it when you're in a foreign country it's quite normal to wake in the morning to be greeted with some strange affliction? Since being here I have suffered somewhat; swollen tongue (different parts swollen, usually one side one day, another side the next day), wrist and hand swollen and very itchy and very hot (but no bite mark, nothing), inside of nose really painful, tummy stabbing pains and this morning severe pain on the inside of my right foot (a red mark which won't let me put pressure on it).

What is happening during the night that is causing these unwanted occurrences?

Strange...

Soho Saturday

Where's your Soho...

London had the first in the 17th Century

New York's Manhattan followed

Hong Kong has Soho and Noho (clever thinking)

Stockholm has Sofo

and now Moscow has the latest on Savvinskaya Embankment

I've been Soho'd three times...

So here is my first little take on the far Eastern Soho

Jump off the Central-mid-level escalators and you're in the heart of Soho, where the food is good and the drinks are flowing! Deciding where to eat can be a challenge as you have almost everything on offer; Japanese, Thai, Greek, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Spanish, British, Chinese, Italian... So if you're unsure as to what you fancy for dinner, I recommend a trip to Soho where you can take a quick trip around the globe!

icaramba

Warm, welcoming surroundings, freshly made tantalizing food cooked before your eyes, sangria, tequila...

PERFECT

Caramba SoHo

26-30 Elgin Street

Hong Kong

Monday's 2-4-1 on food!

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Time to walk off that food...

Hop back onto the escalators and they'll take you up, up, up and away, away from the crowds and to a peaceful spot on top of a hill. The mid-level-escalators cover 800m in distance and are even featured in the Guinness World Records as the longest outdoor covered escalator system! When traveling on them, the higher you get, the quieter and emptier the flowing steps become. As we get to the top, we're the only ones left. We jump off at Conduit Road and gradually make our way back down the winding path, back to a Saturday evening in HK Soho.

My homegirls

As time ticks on and the weeks go by, I have begun to count down the days until I am back with my friends and family in the UK. In exactly four weeks and one days time, I shall be in the middle of a wedding weekend, partying with friends and celebrating lots of love. I miss you my homegirls, where ever you are. Scattered around Europe... Please know that I think of you all often and cannot wait to share some fun and frolics with you soon.

Loves CC

x